Thomas j



" (No Model.)

T. J. MOTIGHE. TR'OLLEY WIRE HANGER.

No. 471,491. Patented Mar. 22, 1892..

77717 IIVI/E/VTOH ATTORNEYS NITED STATES THOMAS J. MOTIGHE,

TROLLEY-WIRE HANGER.

OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,491, dated March22, 1892.

Application filed .Tulyll, 1891. Serial No. 399,216. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. McTrcnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-WireHangers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to suspension devices for the trolley-wire ofelectric-railway systems, such devices being known as trolleywirehangers.

The object of the invention is to construct that part of the hangerwhich holds the trolley-wire as cheaply as possible while giving to itthe requisite strength and facility for attachment.

My invention consists in the construction of the hanger and the blanktherefor, substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings which form part of this specification, Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved hanger in position on the trolley-wire andready for attachment to any desired style of insulator. Fig. 2 is an endView of the sheet-metal clip which characterizes my invention, ready tobe closed upon the trolley-wire. Fig. 3 is an end view of the completedevice shown in Fig. '1. Fig. 4 is a plan of the sheet-metal blankwhich, after suitable creasing or bending, forms the clip. Figs. 5 and 6are respectively a side and end elevation of the hanger-bolt modifiedfor use on curve work.

In carrying my invention into effect I proceed as follows: I first formby punching or otherwise a blank of sheet metal of the general charactershown at Fig. 4. Referring to this figure, the blank along its center a.is continuous and of the width sufficient to fold substantially aroundthe largest size of trolley-wire used. Outside this width the metal isremoved by punching or otherwise, so as to leave on one side theopenings b and tongues c and on the other side the openings (.7, andtongues 6. Beyond these openings the blank converges to form the ears f,which are made with the corresponding bolt-holes g. I prefer to make thetongues on each side slightly nar- For conveniently attaching the clip Igive it a shaping to the form shown at Fig. 2, in which the body a isbent to spring easily onto the trolley-wire, and the tongues c and e arebent toward each other to an extent approximating a half-circle. Afterspringing the clip onto the trolley-wire w the whole is compressedtogether till the tongues c and e interlace by the curved tongues oneach side passing through the corresponding openings on the oppositeside, thus leaving a keyway ,for the insertion of the locking-key It,usually a piece of stout wire; but before inserting the key I prefer todraw the ears f together and fit them to the hanger-bolt m by passingthe bolt 29 through the former and its clamp q. The latter can then bepermanently tightened, attached to its insulator, and hung on itsspan-wire or bracket-arm. Thus all preliminary work of hanging thetrolley-wire and straining it to final position can be done, whilegiving it a perfectly reliable support in the interim. The finaltightening is done by driving home thekey k, whose thickness will bedetermined by the size of the trolley-wire. The driving of this keycauses the part a of the clip to fold tightly around and take a powerfulfrictional grip on the trolley-wire sufficient to absolutely preventsubsequent slipping. If the lugs h are used, they are folded down, asshown in Fig. 1.

For curve work, when a hanger requires great stiffness to permit the useof the goose neck form of carrier, I form the hanger-bolt m with thebroad heavy guard at, which extends down and braces the clip on theinside of the curve formed by the trolley-wire at a curve or turn-out inthe railway-line. This guard at I prefer to make heavy enough to remainrigid and vertical when the wire is hauled into curved line.

Besides the advantages of cheapness and facility of application alreadyset forth, my hanger has the additional advantage that in the event ofthe necessity arising for taking up slack in the trolley-wire byremoving the key 70 temporarily the wire is free to be tightened up tothe desired extent, and then the keys may be replaced, and during thistime there is no possibility of the trolley-wire falling to the ground.able use the clip should relax its frictional grip on the trolley-wire,the key may be removed and replaced by a thicker one, thus again drawingthe clip tight.

For straight-line work a moderate degree of tightness is sufficient. Forcurve work, where the pull-elf or strain wires which form the curve areon lines not corresponding to a radius of the curve, an extra stronggrip can be taken by suitable change'in the size of the key it. Byslightly grinding the under edges of the clip, as shown at 0:, thetrolley will ride past the clips without trouble or sparking.

I claim as my invention" 1. A clip for trolley-wire hangers, comprisinga metal plate adapted to be folded up around the wire and having at itsmeeting portions one or more registering tongues and slots forming akeyway, in combination with a suitable key.

The described sheet-metal blank for trol- Again, if after considerloy-wire hangers, having the solid center a, slots b and cl, tongues cand e in alternating positions, and perforated ears f.

The trolley-wire hanger comprising a sheet-metal clip adapted to befolded up from beneath around the trolley-wire and having at its meetingportions one or more registering tongues and slots forming a keyway, andregistering bolt-holes, in combination with a suitable hanger-bolthaving means of clamping the two folded ends, and a suitable key toenter the keyway and tighten the clip on the wire.

4-. The trolley-wire hanger comprising a sheet-metal clip adapted to befolded up from beneath around the trolley-wire and having at its meetingportions one or more registering tongues and slots forming a keyway andregistering bolt-holes, in combination with a locking-key and ahanger-bolt provided with a broad downward extension or guard,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. l\[C'lIGIIE. lVitnesses:

GEO. E. HIBNER, K. M. MOTIGHE.

